A Printer that Does It All
All-In-One printers give you the ability to the print, copy fax and scan. It is not uncommon today for people to look a printer that can do it all.
Some of the newer models also include photo printing capabilities, with digital memory card readers and preview screens built right into the printer.
There are a lot of benefits to owning a multifaceted printer. But there are some things to consider when purchasing one.
First, if you’re planning to use it as a photocopier, it’s going to cost you considerably more than having copies made at your local print shop. Where you might spend 5 to 10 cents a copy at a print shop, doing your own could cost anywhere up to $1.00 a page on a multifunction printer.
It may be good for occasionally printing photos but it is a costly luxury for printing all your photos.
With all-in-one printers you may sacrifice quality. For example, the printer may have the ability to scan but the clarity of what you scan may not be that great.
If you’re planning to scan old photographs or negatives and want the highest possible resolution, you probably won’t get quite as good a result from a multifunction printer/scanner as you would from a dedicated scanner.
Sometimes all-in-one printers have limited printing options. A printer whose function is only to print may give you more options of paper size or may give you a better print quality.
Having everything in one machine is great until something goes wrong with that machine. If your all-in-one has a problem with its scanning function and you have to send it in for repairs not only can you not scan until it is repaired, you can’t print, you can’t copy, you can’t fax ? you loose everything.
All-in-one printers do have their positives. Having all functions in one machine is a space saver, a money saver and it may be all you need to accomplish what you need to accomplish.